Excavating machine



March 10, 1925.

J. LEGRAND EXGAVATING MACHINE Patented Mar. l0, 1925.

UNITED #STATES JULES LEGRAND, or sin-MANDE, FRANCE. f

'PA'TEN T '0 FFICEEQ] ExcAvA'rING MACHINE appiicamn filed Angustias,i921. seriaijNo. 497,052.`

a To all whomfz't may concern: i y

Be it known ythat I, JULES LEGRAND, a 'citi- Zen of the French Republic,residing at Stg' an improved apparatus for mechanically excavatingsubterranean galleries or trenches, which is also applicable for use inconnection with military engineering, railways, mines and the like.

The apparatus mayv also be employed to pick up broken material, conveythe saine to the rear of the machine and deposit it in a heap.

The invention is illustrated by the acconr panying drawings in which y yFig. 1 is an elevation of the apparatus operating in a mine gallery.' i

Fig. 2 is a plan offFig. 1 with the hood removed. v

Referring to Figs. 1 and 2 the apparatus consists essentially of a chainof bucket-s 1 mounted in front of a metal framework 2 cari'ied upon acarriage 3 which 1s supported through the wheels 4 having a number offeet pivoted thereto. Buckets 5 mounted on the double chain 1 pass overthe'pulleys 6, 7 and 8 and engage the soil with asharp edge. The chains1 are driven in the direction of the arrow Fig. 1 from an electric motor9l through the medium of reducing gear 10, v

buckets 5 to act through the arc of a circle and thereby over a largerfront than if the frame were stationary. Fig. 2 shows in dotted linesthe framework 2 in one of 'its extreme lateral positions correspondingto the breadth of the gallery being excavated. The lateral movement ofthe framework 2 is effected by means of a worm 13 actuated by a handle14 and atrain of gears 15' or other convenient mechanism. The materialexcavated by the buckets is deposited during their downward movementyupon an endless `conveyor 16k which with its connected parts i is`mounted between side lrails 17 disposed'in 'thev interior of thecarriage Thedrum 18 over.A which the conveyor passessis driven :in thedirection of tlie-arrowand receive its motion from-the electric `motorl)through 'the medium of pulleys and belts '20, or other suitable drivingmechanism f may beemployedl. The materialv fromthe conveyor 16 may beshot into trucks or onto another conveyor independent of the'excavat-ingapparatus.

The advancement of the whole apparatus on its wheels is effected by themotor 19 orI other convenient mechanism actuating the rearv axlethroughthe medium of speed re-` lducing gear and train of wheels 21. l

A detachable hood of sheet steel 22 is Vdisposed above the apparatus toprotect the operators and the machine from possible falls of dbris. pThe energy necessary for the movement of the parts of the apparatus is`furnished by an electric generator `disposed externally of theapparatus. l .p 4 v A metallic shield 23 is placed in front of thecarriage 3 to catch anymaterial which may escape from the buckets and toclear the soil in front of the wheelslll of the apparatus.

Before advancing the apparatus in a gal` lery wooden supports must beinserted in plane of the Imaterial excavated, and `dis- Y posed'in anyvapproved manner.

Further the apparatus may be made to run upon a track of wood or-ironmade` in pieces Aand placed beneath tion advances. l

constructed that vit may be easily, taken to pieces tofacilitatetransport.l .e y u I,claim:-. Y 1`. An apparatus for thewheels as the excava- The apparatus may also if desired be somechanically excav#l y" y ating subterranean gallerles or trenches-andthe llke comprising 1n combination an auto-`` mobile frame, a verticalpivot axle upon the front end of said automobile frame, aframc I I ipivotally mounted upon-saidl axle, sprocket pulleys mounted theone,above the other at one end of said pivotable frame, aY bucketchainguided upon'isaid pulleys ,so that'itj i. lforms an excavating headforproducinga cavity' into which the apparatus' can vadvance, a motorupon theot'her end of said f v f, l1l() pivotable vframe for drivingsaid sprocket pulleys, an inclined conveyingv sheet 'ar-4 ranged in thelongitudinal axis ofthe auto muy..

mobile frame extending with its lower end under the top end of saidbucket chain in i order `to'receivethe material poured out by thebuckets, and extending at its other end a 5 conveniently great distancebeyond the end ofl tlie automobile frame in order to deliver theconveyed material directly into trucks.

2. An apparatus for rmechanically excavatlng subterranean galleries ortrenches automobile frame,A a vertical pivot axle upon fthe front end`ofsa-id automobile traine, a pvandthe like 4cornprising in combinationto excavate the ground for a height which is Slightly superior to theheight of the apparatus, a motor upon the rear end of said pivotabletraine designed'to drive the rearinost'of said pulleys and a conveyingband `,carried by said automobile frame extending upward from the frontend-to the rear end and-designed to receive upon its low front end thematerial poured out by the buckets and to deliverthe :same Aat the'rearinto separate truclrs. l

In testimony Wlaeiieof I fa'x my signature in pnesence of two Witnesses.

.JULES LEGRAND.

VViftneSses y ,AN-uien VBLoUin.` HENRI BLoUm.

